Center For Church Music, Songs & Hymns

Browse Hymns:

We Invite You To Sing

To sing with us, 1) Click on the music thumbnail icon to view the sheet music (you don't have to read music!), and 2) Engage the audio file by clicking on the Real audio or Mp3 file.

Blame games -- we hear about them all the time. Whether it's a social problem or a political scandal, news reports are filled with people who point their finger at anyone but themselves. And when trouble hits closer to home, many of us will try the same tactic. Whether it's a strained relationship, a mistake at work, or a church conflict, we'll often try to blame others for the problem.

When it comes to Jesus' death, however, our blame games fall apart. As the hymn, "Ah, Holy Jesus" s...

See More

Blame games -- we hear about them all the time. Whether it's a social problem or a political scandal, news reports are filled with people who point their finger at anyone but themselves. And when trouble hits closer to home, many of us will try the same tactic. Whether it's a strained relationship, a mistake at work, or a church conflict, we'll often try to blame others for the problem.

When it comes to Jesus' death, however, our blame games fall apart. As the hymn, "Ah, Holy Jesus" so poignantly points out, our sin was to blame for causing Jesus death. In a heartfelt confession to Jesus, the hymn writer admits, "Who was the guilty? Who brought this upon Thee? Alas, my treason, Jesus, hath undone Thee."

Innocent and godly in every way, Jesus didn't deserve the brutal torture of crucifixion. Yet he suffered that horrible death anyway, because there was no other way to save us from our sin. Standing before the cross, we have no one else to blame: It was our sin that nailed the spikes into his hands.

How do we respond to that kind of love? How can we repay Jesus for taking our blame? As the hymn writer puts it: "I cannot pay Thee." And in the last verse, we're led to the only fitting response we can give-to adore Jesus and reflect on his sacrifice.

As you enjoy the freedom of salvation, make adoration and reflection a regular part of your life. Begin a prayer journal. Listen to worshipful songs while you drive in the car. Join others in a reflective study of God's Word. Whatever you do, look to the face of our "Holy Jesus;" he's the One who lifted your burden of blame forever.

See Less

Johann Heerman took his inspiration for "Ah, Holy Jesus" from a Latin text attributed to either Augustine (354-430) or Jean de Fecamp (c.1000-1079). The poetry was originally published in a fifteenth-century devotional book entitled Meditationes sanctorum patrum. Heerman's hymn version first appeared in his Devoti Musica Cordis, ca. 1630.

Heerman wrote during the Thirty Years War, a time when many hymn writers became introspective. Writing during this time of uncertainty and tr...

See More

Johann Heerman took his inspiration for "Ah, Holy Jesus" from a Latin text attributed to either Augustine (354-430) or Jean de Fecamp (c.1000-1079). The poetry was originally published in a fifteenth-century devotional book entitled Meditationes sanctorum patrum. Heerman's hymn version first appeared in his Devoti Musica Cordis, ca. 1630.

Heerman wrote during the Thirty Years War, a time when many hymn writers became introspective. Writing during this time of uncertainty and trouble, Heerman's hymn emerged from a backdrop of his own personal suffering. In the lyrics, Heerman describes the afflictions of Jesus, and admits his own part in Jesus' death.

"Ah Holy Jesus" continues to challenge Christians today; pushing us to realize it was our personal sins that put Jesus on the cross. And beyond that, Heerman's hymn points us to a proper response, beautifully reminding us that Jesus' death for our salvation calls for us to adore and worship him.

See Less